{"id":236,"date":"2015-07-12T08:41:43","date_gmt":"2015-07-12T08:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/?p=236"},"modified":"2026-01-23T11:02:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T11:02:46","slug":"3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/","title":{"rendered":"3D Manufacturing &#8211; the Future Becomes the Present"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It wasn&#8217;t all that long ago that 3D printing was a concept suitable for an episode of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0052520\/\">The Twilight Zone<\/a>. It was no more realistic or practical than space travel or driverless vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21143\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing-1-300x199.png 300w, https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing-1-768x510.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You can also listen to this article:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"3D Manufacturing \u2013 the Future Becomes the Present\" allowtransparency=\"true\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" style=\"border: none;\" scrolling=\"no\" data-name=\"pb-iframe-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/player-v2\/?i=n4wqu-e38ff1-pb&#038;from=pb6admin&#038;download=1&#038;share=1&#038;download=1&#038;rtl=0&#038;fonts=Arial&#038;skin=1&#038;btn-skin=3\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>But it did arrive on the scene in the 1980s. And in the last few years, improvements in processing power, storage, and bandwidth have propelled 3D printing technology into directions that were once deemed impossible: shoes, car dashboards, jewelry, parts for jet engines, replacement body parts, and many more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At first, the technology was\nconsidered to be too cumbersome and expensive for production manufacturing, and\nit was consigned to prototyping and smaller production runs. But because of advances\nin technology and higher levels of industry acceptance, additive manufacturing\n(AM) is no longer a glimpse into the future but a tool for all types of\nmanufacturing today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By 2018, approximately 300 companies\nwere making and selling AM systems around the world\u2014twice the number of the\nprevious year! 3D system manufacturers are producing machines with <a href=\"https:\/\/3dfortify.com\/keeping-your-mind-and-3d-printer-open-to-new-material-solutions\/\">open material platforms<\/a>, faster printing speeds, and lower\npricing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some of the details on the\nrise of this manufacturing technology:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Smaller Manufacturers are Benefiting From 3D Printing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the results of a survey published in <em>Forbes<\/em> in 2019, businesses are convinced that additive manufacturing has taken on a more substantial role in their strategies, and nearly half of those polled say it has given them a clear-cut competitive advantage. Most believe they are staying ahead of the competition because they have adopted 3D Manufacturing technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A variety of companies are now benefiting from 3D printing. For example, LayerWise, a firm out of Belgium, used 3D printing to produce a jawbone that was subsequently implanted into an 83-year-old woman. An Australian company called Inventech has come up with &#8220;3D BioPrinters&#8221; that can print tissue structures using human tissue. And the California-based Bespoke Innovations is using 3D Manufacturing to create prosthetic limb castings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Some big Names are Jumping Onboard the 3D Printing Bandwagon<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the growth in large-scale 3D Manufacturing can be attributed to the acceptance it&#8217;s receiving at the Fortune 500 level. Even though these sizable corporations obtain the most benefit from traditional mass production, they are also eager for the latest innovative technologies. For them, the advantages of 3D printed parts will outweigh their higher costs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>General Motors:<\/strong>&nbsp;The behemoth automaker has produced\na 3D-printed seat bracket that is 20% stronger and 40% lighter than the\noriginal. Through the process, they also combined eight different parts into\none unified component. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Boeing:<\/strong>&nbsp;Boeing&#8217;s 777X will be the\nworld&#8217;s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet. It will be powered by the\nGE9X, which is a massive turbofan engine with&nbsp;over 300&nbsp;3D-printed\nparts. By taking advantage of the non-tooling requirements of AM, Boeing expects\nto increase its manufacturing capacity without using more manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>U.S. Military:<\/strong> For some time, the country&#8217;s\nmilitary has been using 3D technology for on-demand printing of spare parts in\nthe field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the Benefits of 3D <\/strong>Manufacturing<strong>?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>3D printing<br>is faster than most traditional methods<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>CNC machining and\ninjection molds typically take weeks to design, manufacture, and test. 3D\nprinting, on the other hand, can test designs quickly from prototype to final\nproduct. Because of its rapid prototyping capabilities, 3D printing allows companies\nenough time to iterate the prototype and find the best markets for their\nproduct. By using 3D printing technology, companies can design a part,\nmanufacture it on the printer, and test it\u2014all within days, rather than weeks\nor months. These shorter lead times can provide a substantial competitive\nadvantage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>3D<br>technology has a gentle learning curve <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Today,\nvirtually any organization can learn and integrate the technology into its\nproduction process quickly. Unlike the considerable expense associated with\nsetting up traditional machinery, 3D printers are much less involved. The\nprinting operations are automated and require few or no additional workers to\nrun and maintain them, making it much more accessible than CNC machines and\ninjection molds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Product<br>enhancements are easier with 3D printing <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Since 3D Manufacturing is faster and less expensive, improvements and enhancements to a part or product are made without the labor-intensive processes of traditional manufacturing. Another advantage: the manufacturer can show its customer the improved physical part instead of merely showing them a design change on a computer screen. If changes must be made, the CAD file can be modified, and a new version printed the next day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Companies<br>should see an improvement in quality<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditional\nmanufacturing methods sometimes result in mediocre designs and substandard\nprototypes. But by allowing a step-by-step assembly of the part, 3D printing in\neffect guarantees superior designs, along with higher-quality products down the\nroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cost Savings Might be the Primary Benefit of 3D Printing Technology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As they consider 3D printing, most\norganizations are thinking of the complex geometries, quick iteration, and\nshort lead times they will obtain. But many of these same companies are now discovering\nthat&nbsp;3D printing can be a significant cost-saver&nbsp;when it&#8217;s done correctly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditional prototyping methods\nrequire substantial amounts of human labor, and labor costs will drive up the\noverall costs of developing and producing a product. Highly-paid programmers,\nmachinists, and operators\u2014not to mention the expensive machinery needed to produce\nthe parts\u2014can increase the costs and threaten the ability to compete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Modern 3D printing, in contrast,\nrequires fewer operators and machines to complete the manufacturing process. There\nis less waste with additive manufacturing than there is with conventional\nmachining, where a part is often machined from a solid block, requiring\nexpensive tooling and resulting in pans filled with wasted metal chips. 3D\nprinting uses only the material that is needed to create the part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cost of Traditional vs. Additive Manufacturing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Machine, material, and labor make up\nthe bulk of the costs associated with traditional manufacturing. Some of the\nexpenses that are often ignored or minimized include tool amortization, setup\nfees, and minimum order quantities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the top benefits of 3D\nprinting is no upfront tooling costs.&nbsp;You can start printing a part as\nsoon as you have a CAD model. There are few if any, restrictions on geometry\nand design changes are as simple as editing the CAD model. Since there are no\nmold or setup fees, the tooling costs are eliminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Metal injection molding is a\ntraditional manufacturing process with high tooling costs. They justify these\ncosts by requiring high-volume blanket POs or sizeable minimum order quantities.\nCustomers lock into a design and amortize the cost of tooling over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if tooling costs $75,000,\na 500-piece order will be $15 per piece. On the other hand, a request for one\nmillion parts will drop the cost to $0.075 per piece, which is more comfortable\nfor the customer to accept. So, for large production orders, traditional\nmanufacturing could be more cost-effective than 3D printing. But for lower\nvolume orders, additive manufacturing is often the better choice. It will\ndepend on several factors, but as time goes by, 3D printing will become more\ncost-competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3D Printing is no Longer Just for Prototyping <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The number of companies using 3D\nprinting for production has increased dramatically over the last two to three\nyears. Even though prototyping is still the most common use for additive\nmanufacturing, 3D printed parts in end-use products will be the norm in the\nnot-too-distant future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3D printing will continue to be more\ncommonplace, mostly because of its many benefits that include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Printing<br>a complete part without assembly <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Printing<br>complex inner shapes that could not be machined<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Producing<br>much less waste than traditional manufacturing <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shorter<br>lead times<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No<br>upfront tooling costs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the Role of ERP Solutions in 3D Printing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>3D printing may seem strange to those\nwho are more familiar with traditional manufacturing, but the truth is that a\n3D operation runs about the same as a traditional manufacturing\nbusiness.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An enterprise resource planning (ERP)\nsystem will help additive manufacturers keep track&nbsp;of&nbsp;a 3D printed product\nfrom the raw material to its printing, and on through shipping and delivery,\nensuring a complete record of each item.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An ERP system will provide many\nbenefits to both industries. All the modules of a traditional ERP system&#8211;from\nfinance and&nbsp;engineering&nbsp;to MRP and inventory&#8211;will provide value for\nan additive manufacturer just like it always has for traditional manufacturers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Success stories with MRPeasy manufacturing software &#8211; <\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"3D Printers and 3D Printing (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/manufacturing-software-3d-printers\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>3D Printers and 3D Printing.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It wasn&#8217;t all that long ago that 3D printing was a concept suitable for an episode of The Twilight Zone. It was no more realistic or practical than space travel or driverless vehicles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>3D Manufacturing - the future becomes the present - MRPeasy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"3D Printing (also called Additive Manufacturing) exists for over 20 years. At first, the technology was used for rapid prototyping. Try MRPeasy for free!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3D Manufacturing - the future becomes the present - MRPeasy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"3D Printing (also called Additive Manufacturing) exists for over 20 years. At first, the technology was used for rapid prototyping. Try MRPeasy for free!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blog for Manufacturers and Distributors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-07-12T08:41:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-23T11:02:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"680\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MRPeasy Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MRPeasy Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"MRPeasy Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d8f81e364d9eb5f4cfd957434932be37\"},\"headline\":\"3D Manufacturing &#8211; the Future Becomes the Present\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-07-12T08:41:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-23T11:02:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/\"},\"wordCount\":1418,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Manufacturing Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/\",\"name\":\"3D Manufacturing - the future becomes the present - MRPeasy\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-07-12T08:41:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-23T11:02:46+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d8f81e364d9eb5f4cfd957434932be37\"},\"description\":\"3D Printing (also called Additive Manufacturing) exists for over 20 years. At first, the technology was used for rapid prototyping. Try MRPeasy for free!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing.png\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":680,\"caption\":\"3D manufacturing\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"3D Manufacturing &#8211; the Future Becomes the Present\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Blog for Manufacturers and Distributors\",\"description\":\"MRPeasy\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d8f81e364d9eb5f4cfd957434932be37\",\"name\":\"MRPeasy Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/77a818fadc592adc3e6ce12577be4b255cb56181eb8a1182bf1f6aa22a350495?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/77a818fadc592adc3e6ce12577be4b255cb56181eb8a1182bf1f6aa22a350495?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MRPeasy Team\"},\"description\":\"We are a passionate team dedicated to changing the reputation that \u2018MRP systems are complex\u2019, \u2018difficult to use\u2019, and \u2018expensive\u2019. A robust MRP system is essential for efficient production, but it doesn\u2019t have to be so complex that the costs of implementing and operating it outweigh the benefits. We believe that an MRP system can be powerful, simple, and affordable.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/author\/mrpeasy\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"3D Manufacturing - the future becomes the present - MRPeasy","description":"3D Printing (also called Additive Manufacturing) exists for over 20 years. At first, the technology was used for rapid prototyping. Try MRPeasy for free!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"3D Manufacturing - the future becomes the present - MRPeasy","og_description":"3D Printing (also called Additive Manufacturing) exists for over 20 years. At first, the technology was used for rapid prototyping. Try MRPeasy for free!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/","og_site_name":"Blog for Manufacturers and Distributors","article_published_time":"2015-07-12T08:41:43+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-23T11:02:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":680,"url":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"MRPeasy Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MRPeasy Team","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/"},"author":{"name":"MRPeasy Team","@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d8f81e364d9eb5f4cfd957434932be37"},"headline":"3D Manufacturing &#8211; the Future Becomes the Present","datePublished":"2015-07-12T08:41:43+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-23T11:02:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/"},"wordCount":1418,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing.png","articleSection":["Manufacturing Tips"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/","name":"3D Manufacturing - the future becomes the present - MRPeasy","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing.png","datePublished":"2015-07-12T08:41:43+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-23T11:02:46+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d8f81e364d9eb5f4cfd957434932be37"},"description":"3D Printing (also called Additive Manufacturing) exists for over 20 years. At first, the technology was used for rapid prototyping. Try MRPeasy for free!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/3D-manufacturing.png","width":1024,"height":680,"caption":"3D manufacturing"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/3d-manufacturing-the-future-becomes-the-present\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"3D Manufacturing &#8211; the Future Becomes the Present"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/","name":"Blog for Manufacturers and Distributors","description":"MRPeasy","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d8f81e364d9eb5f4cfd957434932be37","name":"MRPeasy Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/77a818fadc592adc3e6ce12577be4b255cb56181eb8a1182bf1f6aa22a350495?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/77a818fadc592adc3e6ce12577be4b255cb56181eb8a1182bf1f6aa22a350495?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"MRPeasy Team"},"description":"We are a passionate team dedicated to changing the reputation that \u2018MRP systems are complex\u2019, \u2018difficult to use\u2019, and \u2018expensive\u2019. A robust MRP system is essential for efficient production, but it doesn\u2019t have to be so complex that the costs of implementing and operating it outweigh the benefits. We believe that an MRP system can be powerful, simple, and affordable.","url":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/author\/mrpeasy\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21146,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236\/revisions\/21146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrpeasy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}